Ghanaian boxing has been thrown a lifeline after the government unveiled a powerful Interim Management Committee (IMC) with just three months to drag the sport back from the brink.

The body has been given sweeping powers to restore credibility, professionalism and safety to a sport scarred by tragedy and plagued by perceived mismanagement over the years. 

The IMC was sworn in on Monday, tasked first and foremost with implementing reforms recommended by a ministerial inquiry into the death of Nigerian fighter Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, who collapsed during a bout in Accra in March and later died.

The tragic incident sparked calls for urgent change in how the sport is governed, underscoring the urgent need for reform in Ghana’s fight game.

Led by a former Ghana Boxing authority (GBA) chairman and respected promoter, Samir Captan, the new body has a 90-day mandate – extendable by only 30 more –  to oversee the sport’s governing body, working with stakeholders to put in place reforms that protect fighters’ welfare, ensure transparency, and ultimately lay the groundwork for democratic elections to elect new leadership for the GBA.

Heavy-hitters in charge

The Captan-led group, comprising a formidable mix of professionals with expertise cutting across administration, law, medicine, coaching, finance and the media, includes Ghana’s greatest boxing icon and three-time world champion Azumah Nelson, serving as Vice-Chairman and Special Technical Advisor.

Other members are Brig Gen Ishmael Ben Quartey (Rtd),  veteran administrator Felix Quartey, neurosurgeon Dr Hadi Mohammed Abdullah, celebrated trainer Dr Ofori Asare, and financial consultant and promoter Lester Nii Amarh Kwantreng.

Supporting them is a three-member Coordinating Team led by GBA Secretary General Patrick Johnson, who doubles as IMC Secretary, with Gideon Oyiadzo  as spokesperson and Prince Azanu as anti-doping specialist.

Inaugurating the committee, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, pulled no punches in spelling out the stakes, warning that business as usual was no longer an option for the sport.

“We cannot keep doing things the same way and expect different results,” he declared. “I am excited we are taking this step to sanitise the boxing ecosystem. No individual is bigger than Ghana boxing; it is a national treasure that must be preserved.” 

Mr Adams added that the government had deliberately picked “the best of the best” to steer the sport away from chaos and towards a safer, more professional future.

Assurance

Mr Captan, in accepting the challenge, pledged to deliver results within the tight timeframe, and appealed to boxing stakeholders to cooperate for all-round success.

"We are going to strongly implement the recommendations. I have worked for many years with Azumah Nelson and many members of the committee, we will let our actions do the talking for us," Mr Captan said.

"I appeal to all stakeholders that we all shall comport ourselves and respect the system that has been mandated for us, let's all help to reset boxing to make world champions," he  said.